Let It Snow: Two Chic Holiday Retreats

For a cozy winter escape, consider Britain’s hottest new hideaway, the Pig Country House Hotel, which opened four months ago near the village of Brockenhurst in southern England’s vast New Forest National Park. A sibling of the acclaimed two-year-old Lime Wood Hotel nearby, the Pig comprises 26 rooms and duplex suites spread between a former Victorian hunting lodge and its restored stable building. Sporting distinctive interiors—recycled furniture and fittings found on-site along with contemporary pieces—the property has been drawing a sophisticated London crowd (the city is a 90-minute drive away) both for overnights as well for lunch or dinner in its new restaurant. Presided over by star chef James Golding—formerly of the Ivy, Caprice, J. Sheekey, and the New York City branch of Soho House—the Pig’s restaurant uses the freshest local ingredients, brought in hourly by the establishment’s resident forager, with the menu changing throughout the day according to what he’s found. To counter the effects of eating perhaps too well, guests have endless walking, biking, and horseback trails to explore in the surrounding national park. Rates start at a low $195; chicretreats.com

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Photo: Courtesy of Chalet Brames

Meanwhile, across the Channel, a mile from the French ski village of Méribel, Chalet les Brames, one of the poshest private villas in the Alps, has just emerged from a total renovation in time for this year’s snow season. Sleeping up to fourteen persons, this striking and tastefully furnished wood, glass, and stone chalet comes with a staff of six, including a chef, plus its own private spa, which will be much appreciated after a day of hitting the slopes at Les Trois Vallées, one of the world’s largest ski areas. Winter rates at the Chalet start at $77,000 a week for up to fourteen people; luxurychaletcollection.com